


I Never Chose This Body

by isritase



Category: Original Work
Genre: Original Fiction, Other, Transgender
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-08-10 23:04:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20143477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isritase/pseuds/isritase
Summary: A fox demon burns all her bridges when she meets a boy from a martial arts sect that has long lost its glory.





	1. Rebirth

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first and only story.

A white fox can be seen making its way through the shrubbery on the mountains, at a brisk pace until it found its way into a cave alcove. Inside, there were what seemed like many human beings dressed in white robes. Upon a closer look, one would see the similarities- it was all women. Each carried on them a white sword encased in its scabbard. The cave walls had drawn depictions of women in various martial arts stances. On any other day, the women in the cave would be practicing their sword play, following the ancient depictions on the walls, honing their form until it became little more than muscle memory. 

Today, they were all lined up, sitting on the cavern floor in a cross legged manner, with their scabbards next to them. Their attention was directed towards a woman who seemed to be in her 30’s or 40’s, who was unlike all the other adepts in the dwelling. This woman had an aura that demanded respect, and she was cold as she was beautiful. She had on all white robes, but unlike the others, her robes were patterned with a silver embroidered filigree design on the edges. She wore a sort of tiara that rested on her head, a kind of hairpin hybrid which kept her hair out of her face. It held a large faceted red ruby in the center, with a filigree design that matched her robes, which had small pearls attached to the ends. Standing not too far away was another adept, she too stood out from the others, although more subtly. She had on silver earrings the shape of crescent moons with small dangling ruby gemstones, and was holding a combination of white sheer and opaque fabrics in her arms.

She was waiting for something, because today was a special day. Today’s appointment was beginning later than planned- the whole clan was not here. They were waiting on the last, and youngest member. She sighed in exasperation and turned around and stepped into the moonlight, slapping her scabbard onto her other hand, and started to begin speaking. Just then, sounds could be heard from outside the cave entrance, and heads turned in alert only to calm when the people sitting realized it was just their final member arriving. There was anticipation, the only movement was the dancing shadows created from the walled wood torches. Finally, the woman next standing next to Mother shouted “Mother Snow! The youngest has arrived!”

In came in a small white fox, panting with its mouth open and its tongue hanging out the side of its mouth. As the fox made its way towards the raised platform of rocks on which Mother Snow stood, there was excited chatter among the cross-legged women. “There you are, Runa. You are late to your own ceremony. We will discuss your punishment later. Let’s get started while we still have moonlight,” she said as she eyed the fox in obvious distaste. She bent down to brush through Runa’s fur to get the twigs and leaves off and carried the fox into position so Runa was under the scarce natural light before sitting down completely in a cross legged position. Runa also sat down on its hind legs. 

Mother Snow closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She took her arms and hands and made directed movements, and to the untrained eye it would seem like she was trying to slowly move invisible waters in front of her. Then, there were quick hand movements as if she was merging the waters together, and then with a final push, she released a loud noise through her mouth as she thrust her palms out towards the fox. The women’s chatter grew as they sat and watched as the energy coursed towards the fox. They all went through a similar initiation once. It was always exhilarating to see the energy, which seemed like the heat coming off the ground on a hot summer day.

Runa started to glow, increasing in intensity until it’s form couldn’t be made out. Slowly the bundle of light grew and stretched until a semblance of human form was reached. The glow slowly faded and in its place was no longer a fox, but a pale naked male body. Runa’s frame was thin with long black hair. Mother Snow closed her eyes, and stood up, wiping her brow of the beaded sweat that had gathered with her arm of her robe. She was weak and stumbled before righting herself on the cave walls with her other hand. She heaved a big sigh as the woman with the crescent moon earrings threw the bundle of fabric at the naked male's body before coming to help Madam Snow. “Thank you White Lily,” Madam Snow muttered as she leaned on her. Madam Snow made her way to her throne and sat down and drank the elixir prepared by Lily.

Runa slowly sat up and made sense of her new limbs. She looked around and saw the looks of disgust all around. As she moved to stand up, the white fabrics slowly started to slip down her body. “Put some clothes on,” Madam Snow barked in anger. Runa’s body jolted with a start as Lily came next to her and helped her in her new robes. With a finishing touch, Lily handed Runa a sword and tied a silver chain sash around the body of the robe. The ends of the sash clicked as the ruby gemstones collided with each other. “Thank you Senior Sister,” Runa whispered with her eyes downcast. She felt embarrassed and ashamed and she didn’t quite know why. Lily lifted her chin and smiled, tucking Runa’s hair behind her ear, and stood off to the side. The chattering slowly quieted, all attention turned towards the throne, awaiting the next announcement. Madam Snow finished her elixir and set it down on the stone table next to her.

“We are the Dancing Fox Sect,” she began, “We are fox demons, and we have been cultivating our energy for centuries to take human form. Now with our youngest finally taking up her sword, we are finally able to start our mission. We are here to change the existing conditions. We demons have been hunted, suppressed, discriminated against, and have been pushed to the fringes of society, living within forests and mountains like wild animals. Not anymore. We will come out on top in the next Thousand Year Martial Arts Competition, take the Red Four Petal Crystal and assert our prowess and dominance in the world,” Madam Snow paused and took a deep breath, her crazed look almost disappearing as she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and opened them again. “You will all have your separate missions, just sit and wait for me to call your name. You will ask no questions- just do as I say and you shall be rewarded accordingly. Soon it will be the humans that will be enslaved and serving us.”

“Runa,” she called immediately after. “Lily will be teaching you the Dancing Fox swordplay, and within 3 days you will also be receiving your mission.” Madam Snow waved her hand in dismissal, and Lily came and took Runa’s hand in her own, leading her towards the cave entrance. “Thank you, Shifu,” Runa whispered as she was dragged along. Runa could hear the chatter grow as Madam Snow called out the first name. Lily let go off Runa’s hand. “Wait here,” she said and went and grabbed a booklet off the stone tables and took Runa’s hand again to lead her through the winding tunnels that led outside. The bamboo leaves were rustling in the wind, and the sun was beginning to rise. Once they were outside, they took a series of turns until they reached a clearing. Lily opened the book to the first page, and turned around to face Runa.

“I am the brightest student under Madam Snow. I haven’t taught anyone before, as it’s something strictly done by Shifu herself, but time is of the essence now. I will try to teach you to the best of my ability. You will have significantly less time to practice than your sisters. How well you catch on is dependent on yourself.” Lily handed Runa the book and brandished her sword. “The main points of the Dancing Fox swordplay are based on speed and illusion. All demons have something on humans- the inherent ability to use magic. Fox demons excel in magic that deals with creating illusions. We are not a martial arts sect that relies on physical power. We chip away at our opponents with quick attacks coupled with fox magic that can create clones that trick the eye. It’s not advised to channel most of our energy into making the clones so physical. Couple the ghostly clones with quick swordplay and your opponents will think that you truly have split yourself into multiple physical copies.” 

Runa’s eyes were wide in awe. Not everyone had the opportunity to be accepted by a martial arts master, or a Shifu, let alone be taught such amazing swordplay. She was excited to learn, and with vague memories of when she was still a fox she remembered how graceful they looked with their flowing white robes and speed that looked like they were disappearing and reappearing, again and again. Runa gripped her sword tighter and smiled. She couldn’t wait to learn. Lily must have seen how excited she was because her gaze became serious. ”Of course, we aren’t invincible. We also have a great weakness that humans do not,” she replied evenly. She reached inside her robe and pulled out a thin sheet of paper, unfolded it and held it open for Runa to see. Runa could make out an image of a bald man with dots on his forehead, in patterned robes and beads around his neck. “This is a monk. They are adept in demon banishing magic. You must be careful around them. It is never advised to fight them. There is no shame in escaping to fight another day. Don’t let your long years of energy cultivation go to waste.” Lily folded the paper and walked up to Runa, and slipped it inside her robe.

“Let’s begin. What does it say on the first page?”

⇌

“You’re wide open,” Lily whispered as a wooden practice sword came to rest behind Runa, on the nape of her neck. Runa slide to ground on her knees, breathing heavily. Although the illusory magic came to her easily, she was having trouble remembering the exact positions of where her hands and feet should be at certain stances. Lily told her this left her open to many attacks as she couldn’t pivot her body quick enough to block and dodge. “You’re catching on quick for your first time though,” she added. “That’s enough for today. Wait here.” Runa laid on her back. By now the sun had risen. She thought back to the speech Madam Snow had given earlier that night. Runa could hear the crunch of grass as Lily returned, holding a banana leaf that was rolled into a cone. Lily bent down and held it out to Runa. “Sit up and drink some water.” Runa did as she was told. The water was refreshing and moistened her parched throat. She offered the cone back but Lily shook her head. “I already drank some,” she explained, and started running her fingers through the slight tangles in her hair.

Runa nodded and started to scratch the giant leaf with her fingernail. “Hey, Senior Sister?” 

Lily looked up from the ends of her hair and gave a questioning look. 

“What’s this ‘Red Four Petal Crystal’ Shifu mentioned?” 

“The Red Four Petal Crystal is a much sought after bead of energy. The Red Crystal will give you a 600 hundred years worth of energy cultivation alone. For humans, this is equivalent to multiple lifetimes. Countless lives have been lost in pursuit of the bead. Whoever swallows the bead will be granted immense power.”

“Why would someone hold such a tournament for such a valuable item?” 

“The tournament is held by the Golden Pine Sect, which has the strongest swordplay in the martial arts realm. They have been on shaky ground ever since the widespread news of their top adepts going around villages and harassing women, stealing merchandise, and demanding food without any form of payment. This must be the their Shifu’s attempt at restoring their honor. Last I heard, Golden Pine’s top adept was accused of stealing an ancient relic from God’s Finger, which is a famous temple that was built where the last Red Robe Monk passed away. There is no proof but the word alone is enough to tarnish the reputation of the Golden Pine sect. If they're willing to place their bets on such a prized possession then they must have a plan to come out on top. Knowing the clan, they may use underhanded tactics.”

“Who is the Red Robe Monk and what can someone do when they use the bead?” 

“The Red Robe Monks was an ancient religious martial arts sect that specialized in Holy Magic, and by living pure and chaste lives, they were given tremendous power by the gods. Legend has it they could turn demons into ash with a flick of a finger. They were our ancestor’s chief enemy. They made it their mission to eradicate the world of all demons, not understanding that we had as much right to this plane of existence as they, and that we are the Yin to their Yang. Swallowing the bead will make you akin to a god. You can dictate both the world of martial arts and the world of the mundane. No ordinary person can swallow the bead, there must be firm existing groundwork of cultivation or you run the risk of being possessed by the spirit of the bead and will go insane. This is why the Golden Pine sect has not had any adept merge with the bead, and their Shifu is too old himself to attempt something so risky. However, Madam Snow is someone who can control the Red Four Petal Crystal. When she does, she will assert her dominance against all the existing sects and it will be the humans that will be forced to live in caves. She will be the first woman to achieve this. Do you understand why we have to help Madam Snow realize her dream?

“Yes, Senior Sister. May I ask one more question? Why do I feel like the people in the Dancing Fox Sect don’t like me very much?”

Lily had an uncomfortable look on her face. She looked away and hesitated. “Runa, do you notice anything different about yourself compared to everyone else in the clan?”

“Not really,” Runa replied, taking a close look at Lily. “You have earrings that I don’t, and your sword is more embellished than mine.” Runa looked at her Lily’s chest and an understanding slowly dawned upon her. She reached up and touched her own chest, which was completely flat in comparison.

Lily took on a sardonic smirk and looked towards something in the distance. “The Dancing Fox sect is a special sect. We only teach women. Our swordplay is built only for women. You, are not a woman. You are a man, and in this sect, we despise men. This is why your sisters will look down on you. You must devote your life to Madam Snow. She pitied you and took you in as an orphan. Without Shifu, you would be dead. Fortunately, Madam Snow has a sixth sense for these things, as she has raised all of us from mere foxes. You exude a feminine aura, and she decided that it was fate that brought you to us, and took you in. Looking at you now, you certainly look like a beautiful woman. You must know though, that you are different from us. You will never experience womanhood, and you will never reach the great heights of the Dancing Fox swordplay your sisters will. You must never reveal this, you must keep it to yourself like you keep your name. Runa itself means Secret. If people were to find out your sex, our whole clan will be ridiculed.”

“I see,” Runa replied. She felt her face burn and looked down. She didn’t see herself as any different than her sisters. She just wanted to get along with everyone and finally have some semblance of a family. Something in her urged her to run away and crawl into a hole. She felt very wrong. At the same time, she understood that she couldn’t let her own feelings get in the way of Madam Snow’s dream.

Lily walked up to Runa and lifted her chin. Lily’s expression softened. “Come on. That’s enough practice for today,” she said softly.

Runa stayed behind and closed her eyes. She listened for the jingle of Lily's chain sash which slowly grew quieter until it was no longer heard. At least she wasn't dead. Everything else didn't matter. She would carry out her missions and help Madam Snow achieve her dreams. Hopefully they will all see they that in the end, aside from some differing body parts, she was no different from them.


	2. Riverside

Runa went inside to join Lily and the rest of her clan. Once she arrived in the main chamber, Madam Snow was nowhere to be seen, and was probably in her own room resting. There was loud chattering while her sisters were discussing their new missions in excitement. There were some lingering members still eating lunch. Runa went over to grab a peach from the old tapestry covering the stone tabletop. One of her sisters was in the middle of reaching for something and once Runa came into view, snatched the grapes off the table and gave her an odd look as she walked away briskly. As Runa bit into the fruit, she looked around for Lily. She felt awkward. Nobody treated her like this when she was still a fox. She quickly finished her peach and made her way to the baths. As a fox she especially loved bathing in the natural hot spring the cave provided. Especially after her training, her sore muscles would love to be immersed in the near scathing heat of the spring. She only took a few steps into the entrance of the hot spring and there was a loud shriek. A large wooden bowl and some wooden brushes was thrown at her and she had to use an arm to protect her face. Immediately after, there were screams for her to get out and she turned tail and ran out. She was frightened from the screaming and the fact things were being thrown at her. She walked back out into the main chamber and it was totally quiet. Everyone was looking at her. One of her sisters spoke up.

“Are you crazy? How can you think to go into a women’s bath?” 

A response somewhere along the lines of it being okay when she was a fox bubbled up, but she swallowed it down. She was no longer a fox. She couldn’t use that excuse. “I’m sorry, I forgot,” she replied, and quickly ran out of the main chamber back outside. As she was running, the same feeling of shame and embarrassment came over her again. Her tears welled up and she let herself cry now that she was alone. When the surges of her emotions eased, she took some deep breaths and looked at her surroundings. The clearing felt familiar, and she vaguely had an idea that she must have traveled along this route as a fox. She knew she had to take advantage of the sun’s heat, and closed her eyes and listened. She heard the trickling of water nearby and followed the noise until she came to a river. She had to bathe somehow. 

She carefully maneuvered herself down the ledge and walked to a tree. She started to undo her sash, caught her sword before it hit the ground, and slung the sash over the branch of a tree. She set her sword down, and her robes slid open some and she took it off the rest of the way, hanging the layers of clothes on the tree branch. She combed her fingers through her long hair while she walked towards the water’s edge and kept walking until it was waist deep. Luckily the water was still warm and she started to rub her body down. She dunked her head and massaged her scalp for a while until she needed to come up for air. She came up and gasped for air, wiping the water for her eyes. She was planning to laze around in the river for a bit longer when she heard loud splashes nearby. She whipped her head towards the source of the noise and there was a man in the water. He seemed to be bathing as well, and from the dark blue and grey discarded clothing near the water’s edge, he must have just here because it wasn’t there when she arrived. He was very tan and muscled. She heard her heartbeat in her ears and felt heat rise to her cheeks. Her body was becoming weird. She was so engrossed in watching the handsome man that when he turned and saw her she was let out a noise of surprise and was shaken out of her stupor. She inwardly cursed. She dropped down into the water so only her neck was above water. This was a human. She was hyper aware that she didn't have her sword on her. Lily had told her that humans fear demons, and they're quick to inform the nearest monk for an exorcism to get rid of people like herself. She contemplated her options when he grinned and swam towards her.

He disappeared in the water for a moment and she debated whether to run out and grab her clothes or keep the distance swim away from. Except she didn’t actually know how to swim, and she would have to spend a while getting her clothes on her wet body. She was slowly inching her away to the shore, planning to make a dash for her clothes anyway when he finally surfaced right next to here. Her eyes widened and she took in his change of expression. He looked bewildered. She searched his face and couldn't find any revulsion or fear. He must not know she was a demon. She let out a small sigh of relief and was about to give a curt greeting before excusing herself when he spoke.

“You’re a man? With a face like that?”

She took a moment to process what he just said. He shouldn't have known what her sex was. Even she could tell from that water's reflection that she looked more feminine than most women. She had underestimated this man. “How,” she started and realized he probably saw everything when he was swimming towards her underwater. So the things her sect said about men were true. They were dogs. She could tell he was a lot stronger than she was just by looking at his body. She should have gone for her clothes and avoided him altogether. “Perv!” she whispered and angrily turned to walk away. The water was slowing her down more than she liked. 

“Hold on!” He grabbed her arm. “I’m sorry. I thought you were a woman and couldn’t help myself,” he grinned. “It’s a waste for a man to have such beauty. Even now, I want to double check,” he laughed, and looked into the water.

Runa pulled her arm out of his grip and faced the man. She used both hands to cover herself beneath the water. “I am a woman,” she whispered. She really hated her body. This body kept bringing her looks of disgust. She wished she had the same body as her sisters. How would she explain that she was born this way? It felt too complicated to think about, let alone bring up in conversation.

“I mean, you certainly have a woman’s face and frame.” He stared at her chest. She slid back down into the water so it was at neck level.

“Stop looking at me,” she huffed. He was entirely too close. His gaze was sending soft jolts of down her abdomen to her groin. Except it didn't feel entirely bad. She wondered if he knew some type of body magic.

He let out a chuckle and slid into the water so it also hit at his neck. “Okay. You’re a woman. I’m really sorry. What’s your name?” He didn’t look sorry. “My name is Runa.”

“Interesting name. Don’t hear that name very often. Is that your things over there?” His head jerked towards her clothes. He spotted the sword and exclaimed, “You know martial arts?! No way!" He glanced at her through the side of his eye. "You're just full of surprises aren't you,” he smiled. He then playfully splashed water at her with his hands. It went right in her face and eyes, and she felt her mouth drop in disbelief. Did he just...? She used her hands to splash him back and soon they were using their energy to send forceful turrets of water towards each other. Soon they were both in a fit of laughter.

Runa couldn’t help herself, and found herself laughing alongside him. His laugh was infectious and he looked like a child with the change of expression. “I'm from the Dancing Fox Sect,” she replied eventually. The moment the words left her mouth, she realized her mistake. She had broken one of the rules Lily has given her. She was also coming to the realization that he could potentially find out she was a demon. Her hope died when he spoke next.

“But isn’t that an all female sect? And that would mean that you’re a demon. That can’t be true.” 

She was expecting to see a change in his expression but he simply kept that bemused expression on his face. Now that they were standing closer together she could see his eyes wandering down her body before looking into her eyes. He kept this up and was breathing heavily. The earlier play fight must have tired him out. She surmised her own magic must be much stronger.

She simply gave him a pointed look. “I told you, I’m a woman,” she told him and blushed. “Despite the fact that we share the same body parts.” She willed herself to adapt a cool expression and looked down her nose at him. “Demon can take human form if they cultivate their energy long enough. Like the name of my sect, I’m a fox demon. Are you afraid now?”

“No, I’m not,” he replied immediately. “My name is Valtyr. I’m from the Echo Blade Sect. Let’s spar sometime,” he said as he reached a hand out.

Runa lifted her hand from beneath the water and hesitated only a brief moment before gripping his hand. His handshake was firm but gentle. "Your skin is so soft." He pulled her even closer and ran his hands up her arms, and then with his right hand he brought it to her chest, moving downwards a bit as his hands hovered except for his index finger. He brought it down to her right nipple and ran his finger across it. It hardened under his touch. 

She gasped and took a step back. This man _must_ have some secret magic technique. Her body kept betraying her. A part of her wanted to stay to see more of what he could do. She could hear the blood in her ears again and felt her blood travel somewhere else. This was embarrassing. She willed herself to think of something else and dropped back down into the water so it reached her neck. He did the same. “Sure.” She noticed she felt the goosebumps on her arms and attributed it to the weather growing cold. “I should get going. My sisters are probably wondering where I am,” she whispered. 

“Alright. Where can I find you?” 

She suddenly felt anxious. Her emotions were becoming complicated. She wanted to spend more time with him but she also feared what would happen if one of her sisters found out she was fraternizing with a human man. “You can’t. Both humans and men aren’t welcome. It’s better if you don’t come looking for me.” 

“I’m on an errand, but the Echo Blade sect is in the city of Ivy Meadow. Come say hello when you have the chance then.”

She smiled. “Goodbye. Safe travels, Valtyr.” She didn’t move from her place in the water and neither did he. There was a pregnant pause when she finally spoke up. “Um, can you turn around?”

"Why?"

He couldn't be serious. He didn't actually think she was going to just let him watch her get out of the water did he? "Turn around! I don't want you to see me. My body isn't exactly normal."

Valtyr had an intense look in his eyes. “No. It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”

Runa laughed, incredulous. If he wanted an eyeful, then so be it. They did have the same parts after all. She slowly stood up and Valtyr slowly followed suit. He was staring at her chest, and then her face. She felt her face heat up and felt her body becoming weird again and turned on her heel and started walking to shore. She was aware of his gaze. She could feel it on her like heat from the sun. She tried to be as nonchalant as possible, even with her ass no longer submerged. Once her was walking on grass, she wrung her long wet locks of water and went for her clothes and got dressed with her back facing him. When she turned around, he was still watching her with that intense look. She then made her way back on top of the ledge and looked for him once more. Seemed like he went back to swimming. 

As she was walking back to the cave, she increasingly became anxious. She was remembering what happened earlier today with the baths and decided the best thing to do was avoid her sisters until she helped Madam Snow by completing all her missions.

Her hair was still wet when she arrived in the main chamber. She made eye contact with Lily, who held up a finger and disappeared into the baths. She came back with a towel and walked up to Runa.

“Come sit over here.” She gestured to the stones the sisters sat on as chairs. Runa shook her head.

“Can we go outside?”

There was a pause as if Lily was deciding if she wanted to object, and then she just nodded.

Lily followed Runa outside and they sat down at the same place they sparred at this morning. Lily reached out with the towel and started drying Runa’s hair.

“I heard what happened in the baths today. You should know better than that. Where were you?”

“I went and bathed down at the river.”

Lily didn’t say anything else while she dried Runa’s hair.

When she finished, she folded the towel and set it down. “Let’s continue where we left off.”

“Yes, Senior Sister.”

They both grabbed their swords and Lily unsheathed hers from the scabbard.

“Show me what you’ve retained.”

⇆

They were fighting for hours, and when Runa finally had a moment of reprieve it was night. Lily sheathed her sword. “That’s enough for today. Get some sleep.” She walked back into the cave entrance and turned around when she noticed she wasn’t being followed. 

“Go on without me. I want to be out here for a while longer.”

“Suit yourself,” she sighed, and started to resume her walking

Runa looked up to the moon and let her eyes trace the stars. When did she suddenly become so anxious and afraid of her own sisters? She was tired but she would rather sleep out here alone. She had an idea. Just because she was alone didn’t mean she had to suffer. She smiled to herself and went to gather some wood. Once she had a nice pile of wood of varying thickness, she used some basic magic to light them ablaze. The sudden embrace of warmth against the night chill was more than welcome. She went and gathered some banana leaves and laid them down on the ground so it would be more comfortable. She grabbed the towel Lily had left behind. It was dry by now, and she used it as a makeshift pillow. Runa thought about her own sect. As grateful as she was, it was starting to become harder to be a part of it now that she had taken human form. There was a deep sense of regret. She also thought it was foolish. She was lucky to be saved and taught martial arts from Madam Snow. Lily also showed more kindness than any of her other sisters. She made a mental note to repay Lily sometime.

Runa closed her eyes and saw Valtyr. He was really handsome. She waved away images of his naked form and grinned. She made a new friend today. He was odd and had a tendency to stare but he didnt rebuff her once he found out that she was a demon, and he even saw her body for what it truly was. It was a stark contrast to how her sisters viewed her. She wanted to see what his sect and city was like. There was so much she hasn’t seen, recently becoming taking human shape. She had a feeling Valtyr would definitely show her around. Before she nodded off to sleep, she decided she really would take him up on that offer.


	3. Demon Business

When Runa awoke it was still early in the night. The fire was still going although it had died down. She knew that soon it would be morning and Lily would come looking for her to resume practice. She sat up and stretched, got to her feet and went and gathered more firewood. It was still chilly. She walked a short distance and picked up some branches off the ground in the nearby forestry. As she was gathering, she thought about how quickly she became jaded when it came to her own home. How does one feel lonely with so many sisters? She walked back to her campsite and fed the fire. 

Although she preferred sleeping outside the cave, she knew Lily would judge her for doing so. Probably think she really was an animal. She went and decided to clean up any clues that would lead to Lily finding out she slept at the same place they sparred. She picked up the banana leaves and started to tear them, then walked over to a tree and let the shredded leaves fall around the base of the tree. The tree would get nutrients this way right? She then placed the towel back where Lily left it. Today they were going to go over wind walking, where one channels energy down to their feet to “walk on air” and levitate. Most martial artists knew this ability and fought in the air. She had to be ready to go against any opponent. She sat back on the towel and folded her legs. She would regulate her energy to warm up before Lily came.

She was deep into her energy work and fallen into a meditative state when some whizzed right next to her ear. She opened her eyes in surprise and she only had to turn her head a bit to see that there was an arrow embedded in the cave wall. She stood up in alarm. “Who is it?!” She yelled. She waited for a reply. There was none. “Show yourself. Or are you scared?” There was a rustle in the trees and she grabbed her sword and ran in that direction. By now it was dawn and there was some light, although it was still hard to see. “I’ll kill you when I find you,” she yelled, hoping it would provoke the assailant out of hiding. She stopped running and stood still. It left her open to a direct attack but it was the only way to listen for any noise that would give her clues into what direction she needed to follow.

Another arrows shot at her and she barely moved out of the way. It grazed her shoulder and she let out a cry of pain. She turned towards the direction it came from and made a dash for it, running as hard she can. She started to see a man with quiver slung on his back and a bow in his right hand. He had on a worn beige top and matching bottoms. He was quick. Not letting this chance go to waste, she flung out an arm and used one of the Dancing Fox’s skill sets, embedding energy into a strip of sheer white fabric that was kept in the arms of her robes, which shot at as quickly as the arrows the man shot earlier, wrapping around his waist. She used her energy to give a hard tug, and the man fell back. She closed the distance between them and with her free hand, drew her sword from the scabbard that hung on the chain that kept her robes closed. 

“Who are you?!”

The man turned around. He was in his 30’s and was shaking like a leaf. “D-D-Demon!” 

She smirked. He looked pathetic. Unlike Valtyr this man obviously wasn’t eating well. He was thin and his cheeks were gaunt. Why he thought he could fight with a demon was beyond her. She raised her blade to his neck and pushed at the skin. This would be quick. 

“Now why would a fool come to a nest of demons? Wishing for death perhaps? I can grant that,” she snarled. 

“Y-You demons think you can keep and kidnapping women in our village! Well I won’t let you! Even if I die!” There was spittle flying when he spoke. His eyes were wide in fear as he reached in his robe and pulled out a small knife.

“You can’t even stand on your feet, and you think you can kill me?” she laughed. Were all humans this slow? “I don’t know what you’re talking about, the demons in that cave have no interest in human women. You’ve made a mistake. I’ll have to kill you for that transgression.” 

She wrapped her hand around the fabric that was tied around his waist for a firmer grip and swung her blade to sever his head.

“Wait!” 

Runa stilled her blade. A new voice. She whispered a spell and let go of the strip of cloth as it wrapped around the rest of his body, save for his head. He released some noises as he dropped his knife and was imprisoned in the prison of fabric. She bent down and used her middle and index finger to quickly jab his pressure points and shot quick bursts of energy into them. It would still his movement and silence him temporarily. 

She turned around. A woman close to her own age walked out behind a tree. She had on a pale pink robe with floral designs and a beige satchel that was worn on her shoulder and rested on her hips. She was armed with the same weapons as her father. She dropped her bow on the ground next to her. There were tears streaming down her face. 

“Take me instead! Leave my father alone!”

She pointed the sword at the girl. “Why would I do that when I can kill you both?”

She looked fearful. “Please… We just wanted to stop the kidnappings…” She dropped to her knees and cried with her fists by her side. Her knuckles were white from the pressure. “It’s just not fair that we have to go to sleep every night not knowing if someone will be kidnapped when morning comes! Not being able to say goodbye to your own mother before she disappears!”

Runa could feel the emotions pouring out of the girl. Grief and loneliness. She thought of her own relationship with her sisters. It seems she and this human girl shared the same emotions. She lowered her sword. “Neither my sisters or I have any idea of what you’re talking about.”

“I understand that now… We just saw the smoke from your camp fire and followed it to your cave. We knew of a cave that housed demons, and assumed it was you that was committing the crimes when we came across it. Please! If what you say is true then please help us! You can understand the plight of women in this world, can’t you?!” She lowered her head to the ground as she pleaded. 

Runa was speechless. She was embarrassed that the girl was bowing to her like she did to her own Shifu. To ask a demon to help hunt another demon? This girl was gutsy. Or just desperate. She slipped her sword back into its sheath and walked over to the girl and pulled her up to her feet by her arm. 

“What’s your name?”

She sniffed and wiped her eyes. “Kajsa. Please, please help us big sister.. I’m so sorry we attacking you.” She began to kneel again.

Runa grabbed her arm again and lifted her up. “You don’t need to do that anymore. I forgive you. You can call me Runa.”

Runa walked over to Kajsa’s father. He was still lying where she had left him, although his eyes were no longer wide in fear. She muttered a spell in which the strip of cloth unfurled itself from his body and slipped in her robe sleeve. She then knelt down and undid the pressure point lock with the same fingers. He sat up and sighed with relief, his shoulders slumping. 

“Are you alright?” 

“Yes, yes thank you. I’m sorry about your shoulder. Kajsa, bring the girl some salve! You can call me Raulin.” He scratched the back of his head and laughed.

Kajsa walked over and flipped open the flap of the satchel that was on her hips. She pulled out a small sea green glass jar with a red cork. She removed the cork and tilted the jar until a creamy liquid dripped on her hand. “Pull down your robe so I can apply it on your shoulder.” She smiled.

Runa used her right arm to cover her chest while she used her left hand to pull down robe off her shoulder. She hissed as the robed pulled away from the cut. Kajsa looked sheepish while she applied the ointment. When she was finished, put the jar in her satchel and pulled out another jar that had a blue cork, and she shook it until a white powder came out. She then used to powder to set the ointment. 

“All done,” she said as she put the bottle away.

Runa slipped her shoulder back into her robe. “Thank you.”  


Kajsa smiled. Raulin cleared his throat. They both turned around to face him.

“Now about this demon business.”

“Tell me everything,” Runa responded. Runa starts to follow the Raulin while Kajsa walks besides Runa.

“It started a few months ago. At first it was small livestock that went missing, like chickens and ducks, and after the last, it went after our cattle, and recently even the women that wandered out at night were nowhere to be found in the morning. A few weeks ago, even women that would stay inside all night started to disappear. That’s when I decided to take it into my own hands and go after that god damned thing myself! There are no clues left behind to be traced back to the perpetrator, but we have since heard rumors about there being a cave of demons in the nearby forest and that’s when I came across your bonfire.” He turned the Kajsa. “You! I told you to stay home!” 

Kajsa winced. “Dad, thank god I came along, or you would probably be dead. You aren’t exactly smooth. I can’t lose both you and Mom,” she sniffed and her breath hitched as she turned away.

Raulin looked embarrassed and scratched the back of his head and changed the subject. “We’re almost there” he said as we approached the clearing. It was a small village, not more than 30 huts and the villagers were scrambling around with fear, probably trying to get everything done before nightfall. There was such a grim atmosphere, usually you would hear children’s screams and laughter, but here even the children were running around helping their fathers out. There were still some women to be seen which meant that there would probably be more attacks and that there was still time to save them. Runa made a mental note to memorize the path to and from the village and turned to Raulin.

“Alright, I have to get back before my Elder Sister starts to wonder where I am, but I will return just before the sun sets to meet you two and wait for the demon to come and follow it back to it’s nest. Which one is your house..?” 

Raulin was vaguely pointing to one and opened his mouth when a little girl ran out and started wailing, “Daddy!”

Runa bristled at the girl’s shrieking. Children scared her. She had vague memories of the cruelty of children when she was still a fox. Raulin was patting her head.

“What did I say about staying with Auntie before I got home!” He bent down and picked her up and started to carry her on his hip. The little girl was staring at her. Kajsa nudged Runa and whispered, “That’s my little sister, Kitara.” 

“Say hello to big sister Runa” Raulin chastised. Kitara paused before doing as she was told, but not before adding softly, “She’s pretty..” 

Raulin and Kajsa laughed while Runa blushed and excused herself. Children were so unpredictable. “I’ve got to go now. Remember our plan.”

Runa sped off into the forest again before she heard their replies. Her Elder Sister was going to be suspicious. As ran through the forest, she thought about the arrows she left embedded in the cave wall and how she was going to explain her secret and also keep her new friends safe.


End file.
